Crystalline Comparison of Some Salts What do these magnified pictures of salt crystals tell us?*
Common Table Salt   The unnatural cubed crystals are totally isolated from each other and dead. In order for the body to try to metabolize these crystals, it must sacrifice tremendous amounts of energy with very little results, resulting in a damaging loss and zero gain. The salt deposits in our bodies look similar to this photo, isolated and dead.	Regular Sea Salt   Salt labeled Sea Salt may be no better than Table Salt.  It is processed and is from polluted waters.  The Irregular and isolated crystalline structures are disconnected from the natural elements surrounding them. Because of this, the vital minerals, however many it may contain, cannot be absorbed by the body unless the body expends tremendous energy to vitalize them. Grey Salt and Celtic Sea Salt are different and are a far better choice than Table Salt.	Himalayan Crystal Salt   The balanced crystalline structure reveals fine branching, no shadows or rough edges. The crystal is not isolated from the inherent mineral elements (84) but is connected to them in a harmonious state. This tells us that the energy content, in the form of minerals, is balanced and can be easily metabolized by the body. This crystal is full of life. When taken as food, it will have a vital energetic effect on the body. The result is only a net gain for the body with zero energy loss.
* courtesy and copyright American Blue Green, LLC, 2003

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*note:  According to Dr. Mercola, if your fasting sodium level is higher than 142 or your chloride level over 105, you should restrict salt intake, but if you are within the range of 146 - 142 for sodium and 99 - 105 for chloride, salt should be a healthful part of your diet.

 

In historical times, Himalayan Crystal Salt was called "The King of Salt" because it was reserved for Royalty. The common citizen only had access to rock salt . Now you too can experience the superior quality and unparalleled benefits of the Original Himalayan Crystal Salt that Royalty has enjoyed for years! The superior quality and unparalleled benefits of the Original Himalayan Crystal Salt is founded on its unique crystalline structure. This natural crystal salt has been exposed for millions of years to enormous pressure in the Himalayan Mountains . As with all crystals, such as diamonds, the more geometrically perfect the cube shaped crystal, the higher is the information content, and the more valuable the crystal. The importance of this superior crystalline structure for our bodies is that the energy released from dissolving these crystals can be transferred to your cells and tissues. Furthermore, the elements in this crystal salt are available in such tiny ional particles that they can be easily absorbed by the human cells and metabolized. The Only Salt Scientifically Shown to Enhance Overall Health!   World's Highest Elemental Content With 84 Of The Nutritional Elements Need by the Body   Replenishes electrolytes and helps to balance the body’s pH   High-energy crystalline structure allows all nutrients to be absorbed at the cellular level   Hand-mined, Stone Ground, Hand Washed, free of environmental pollutants - 100% Genuine Himalayan Crystal Salt   Use For: Rejuvenating Bathing, Replenishing the Skin, Drinking Therapy, and Flavoring Food Crystal Salt.

 

Books: 

Water and Salt, The Essence of Life Healing with Power & Nature Dr. Barbara Hendel, MD and Peter Ferreira

Hunger for Salt Derek A. Denton

Seasalt's Hidden Powers Jacques De Langre Sea Salt, the Vital Spark for Life

Sodium Hunger Jay Schulkin

other Links:

• Himalayan Salt Crystals - Your Dynamic Wellness Guide, Dr. Joyce Starr
• CureZone
• Celtic Sea Salt, Dr. Monte Kline Pacific Health Center - at the end is a Celtic Salt Cleanse
• Celtic Sea Salt, Wellness Directory of Minnesota
• Are You Eating Too Much Salt?, Dr. Mercola
• Don't be Deceived by the Crusade Against Salt, Health Wealth & Happiness

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information below and picture at top of page courtesy of SaltWorks

Sodium chloride can also be used as treatment: • In cases of glandular problems causing obesity, for instance, salt baths are very useful, even in cases of hypo function or hyper function of the thyroid. • The application of dry or wet salt compresses reduces the excess liquid present in the tissues. • For relief of swollen and sore feet, immerse them in a basin of warm water with a handful of salt. • To reduce bags under the eyes apply compresses soaked in a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a 4 cups of warm water. • Gargling with some salt and bicarbonate of soda dissolved in water disinfects the mouth, leaving a fresh breath. • The inhalation of salt-water steam through the nose can relieve bothersome cases of phlegm or of inflammation of the respiratory mucosa. • For an all natural peeling, try mixing a cream with honey and salt and massage it gently over the interested parts of the face

Salt in Food:

Salt serves many purposes. Humans and other animals have an inherent taste for this essential nutrient. Salt is the world's oldest known food additive. People use many types of sodium chloride in food processing, cooking or at the table -- at home or in restaurants. Each makes its unique contribution. Besides contributing its own basic "salty" taste, salt brings out natural flavors and makes foods acceptable, protects food safety by retarding the growth of spoilage microorganisms, gives proper texture to processed foods, serves as a control agent to regulate the rate of fermentation in food processing strengthens gluten in bread, provides the color, aroma and appearance consumers expect and is used to create the gel necessary to process meats and sausages. As a result, more heavily processed foods usually contain more sodium and salt. Many countries' food labeling regulations include sodium. The world's great chefs appreciate salt's many culinary benefits, including surprising applications like salt in desserts. Salt should be part of every family's food storage program.

Beyond nutrition, people use sodium chloride for several necessary functions in food processing and cooking, including:

Preservative:
Salt preserves foods by creating a hostile environment for certain microorganisms. Within foods, salt brine dehydrates bacterial cells, alters osmotic pressure and inhibits bacterial growth and subsequent spoilage. Salting fish made long-range explorations possible in the age of sailing ships.

Texture Aid:
Salt strengthens gluten in bread dough, providing uniform grain, texture and dough strength. With salt present, gluten holds more water and carbon dioxide, allowing the dough to expand without tearing. Salt improves the tenderness in cured meats such as ham by promoting the binding of water by protein. It also gives a smooth, firm texture to processed meats. Salt develops the characteristic rind hardness in cheese and helps produce the desirable, even consistency in cheese and other foods such as sauerkraut.

Binder:
Salt helps extract the proteins in processed and formed meats, providing binding strength between adjacent pieces of meat. Water binding properties are increased and, as a result, cooking losses are reduced. Salt increases the solubility of muscle proteins in water. In sausage making, stable emulsions are formed when the salt-soluble protein solutions coat the finely-formed globules of fat, providing a binding gel consisting of meat, fat and moisture.

Fermentation Control:
In baked products, salt controls fermentation by retarding and controlling the rate of fermentation, important in making a uniform product. During pickle making, salt brine is gradually increased in concentration, reducing the fermentation rate as the process proceeds to completion. Salt is also used to control fermentation in making cheese, sauerkraut and summer sausage.

Color Developer:
Salt promotes the development of color in ham, bacon, hotdogs and sauerkraut. Used with sugar and nitrate or nitrite, salt produces a color in processed meats which consumers find appealing. Salt enhances the golden color in bread crust by reducing sugar destruction in the dough and increasing carmelization.



Salt and Cardiovascular Health
For 4,000 years, we have known that salt intakes can affect blood pressure through signals to the muscles of blood vessels trying to maintain blood pressure within a proper range. We know that a minority of the population can lower blood pressure by restricting dietary salt. And we know that elevated blood pressure, “hypertension,” is a well-documented marker or “risk factor” for cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes, a “silent killer.” Cardiovascular events are a major cause of “premature” death and cost Americans more than $300 billion every year in increased medical costs and lost productivity. Reducing blood pressure can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke – depending on how it’s done.

Some have suggested that since salt intakes are related to blood pressure, and since cardiovascular risks are also related to blood pressure, that, surely, salt intake levels are related to cardiovascular risk. This is the “salt hypothesis” or “sodium hypothesis.” Data are needed to confirm or reject hypotheses.

Blood pressure is a sign. When it goes up (or down) it indicates an underlying health concern. Changes result from many variables, often still poorly-understood. High blood pressure is treated with pharmaceuticals and with lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise. The anti-hypertensive drugs are all approved by regulatory authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. To be approved, these drugs must prove they work to lower blood pressure. Whether they also work to lower the incidence of heart attacks and strokes has not been the test to gain approval (it would take too long to develop new drugs), but the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has invested heavily in such “health outcomes” studies.


Salt and Human Nutrition:
Sometimes the two terms, "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself but which is required for life itself and good health. Because of sodium's importance to your body, several interacting mechanisms guard against under-consumption of salt and its threat to your body's nerves and muscles and interference with the sodium-potassium "pump" which adjusts intra- and extra-cellular pressures. If your salt intake varies widely, these mechanisms activate to assure that your body remains healthy, maintaining a relatively constant blood pressure. Chloride, too, is essential to good health. It preserves acid-base balance in the body, aids potassium absorption, supplies the essence of digestive stomach acid, and enhances the ability of the blood to carry carbon dioxide from respiring tissues to the lungs. Salt should be part of every family's food storage program. Salt has been a valuable weapon in our public health campaign against iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), iodizing salt has virtually eliminated IDD in North America and many other areas although the World Health Organization has targeted elimination of IDD globally as a top priority. Where public health authorities do not fluoridize water, adding fluoride to salt is common as in France, Switzerland and Latin America.

Years ago we thought that different societies have wide variations in salt intake. Current research shows that where salt is readily available, the vast majority of the world's population chooses to consume about 6-10 grams of salt a day. Including naturally occurring sodium in foods, people worldwide consume about 3,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium, Americans included. Some remote primitive peoples like the Yanamamo Indians of the Brazilian jungle who lack ready access to dietary sodium do have almost unbelievably small levels of sodium intake–far below that judged by the National Academy of Sciences to be safe for Americans. But for the rest of the world, our average intakes are typical. The National Academy of Sciences recommends that Americans consume a minimum of 500 mg/day of sodium. The European Union Population Reference Intake for males aged 18 years (an "acceptable range of intakes") is 575-3500 mg. Nutrition is important to good health. Salt is part of a healthy diet, a fact increasingly recognized by the public.

Health Outcomes
The ALLHAT study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to compare the health outcomes of four classes of anti-hypertensive drugs, all of which had demonstrated their ability to reduce blood pressure in relative safety. The idea is that blood pressure is only a "surrogate outcome," and we should be more concerned with clinically meaningful endpoints. Dr. Jeffrey R. Cutler of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has supervised the study and explains its importance: "Trials are based on the notion that different antihypertensive regimes, despite similar efficacy in lowering blood pressure, have other beneficial or harmful effects that modify their net effect on cardiovascular or all-cause morbidity and mortality."

Lifestyle interventions are "antihypertensive regimes" too. For years, the same situation prompting the ALLHAT trial applied to lifestyle interventions designed to improve blood pressure -- they were untested regarding health outcomes. Certain dietary and lifestyle interventions reduced blood pressure, at least in sensitive sub-populations. Whether they also reduced the incidence of heart attacks and strokes had never been tested. Thus, until the 1990s, scientists had never tested the “salt hypothesis” by documenting whether reducing dietary salt actually reduces a person’s chances of having a heart attack or a stroke. As in the drug “health outcomes” trials, this is now changing. The results have vast public health policy implications. We should not be recommending that everyone change their diets without evidence of some overall health benefit.

Even documenting an association of, for example, low-sodium diets with reduced incidence of heart attacks would only be the first step. Association is not the same as causation. Nevertheless, unless an association is established, we have no reason to think that a causal link is possible. Of the first nine “health outcomes” studies of sodium reduction, not a single study has found an association in the general population between low-sodium diets and reduced incidence of cardiovascular events like stroke or heart attack.

Here’s what scientists have found:
1. An eight-year study of a New York City hypertensive population stratified for sodium intake levels found those on low-salt diets had more than four times as many heart attacks as those on normal-sodium diets – the exact opposite of what the “salt hypothesis” would have predicted. (1995)

2. An analysis by NHLBI’s Dr. Cutler of the first six years’ data from the MRFIT database documented no health outcomes benefits of lower-sodium diets. (1997)

3. A ten-year follow-up study to the huge Scottish Heart Health Study found no improved health outcomes for those on low-salt diets. (1997)

4. An analysis of the health outcomes over twenty years from those in the massive US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) documented a 20% greater incidence of heart attacks among those on low-salt diets compared to normal-salt diets (1998)

5. A health outcomes study in Finland, reported to the American Heart Association that no health benefits could be identified and concluded “…our results do not support the recommendations for entire populations to reduce dietary sodium intake to prevent coronary heart disease.” (1998)

6. A further analysis of the MRFIT database, this time using fourteen years’ data, confirmed no improved health benefit from low-sodium diets. Its author conceded that there is "no relationship observed between dietary sodium and mortality." (1999)

7. A study of Americans found that less sodium-dense diets did reduce the cardiovascular mortality of one population sub-set, overweight men – the article reporting the findings did not explain why this obese group actually consumed less sodium than normal-weight individuals in the study. (1999)

8. A Finnish study reported an increase in cardiovascular events for obese men (but not women or normal-weight individuals of either gender) – the article, however, failed to adjust for potassium intake levels which many researchers consider a key associated variable. (2001)

9. In September, 2002, the latest and highest-quality meta-analysis of clinical trials was published in the British Medical Journal confirming earlier meta-analyses' conclusions that significant salt reduction would lead to very small blood pressure changes in sensitive populations and no health benefits. (2002)



Controversy Continues
For many years, the intense public controversy that has characterized the public policy debate over public health nutrition recommendations on salt intake has focused on the wrong question. Medical experts, public health policy-makers – and the public, trying to sort out the issues reading the consumer press – have all focused on the relationship of sodium intake to blood pressure instead of the relevant question of whether changing intake levels of dietary sodium results in improved health outcomes. See, for example, recent Salt Institute comments to the (British) Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

There is no evidence that reducing dietary sodium improves the risk for heart attacks or strokes for the general population. In 1999, the Canadian Hypertension Society, the Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control, the Health Canada Laboratory Centre for Disease Control and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada issued a joint statement opposing general recommendations for sodium reduction.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has also reviewed the evidence and concluded:
"There is insufficient evidence that, for the general population, reducing dietary sodium intake or increasing dietary intake of iron, beta-carotene, or other antioxidants results in improved health outcomes."

The debate has confused the public. Medical journalists from ABC-TV’s 20/20 to America’s pre-eminent scientific journal, Science, published by the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, have investigated the source of this confusion. The report in Science won author Gary Taubes a top prize from the National Association of Science Writers and has also been translated into French.

Taubes concluded:
“After interviews with some 80 researchers, clinicians, and administrators around the world, it is safe to say that if ever there were a controversy over the interpretation of scientific data, this is it….After decades of intensive research, the apparent benefits of avoiding salt have only diminished. This suggests either that the true benefit has now been revealed and is indeed small or that it is non-existent and researchers believing they have detected such benefits have been deluded by the confounding of other variables.”

The Salt Institute is confident that the higher standards of evidence-based medicine will reduce the ongoing controversy, better inform public policy and reduce consumer confusion. For more information about the importance of evidence-based health, you may wish to visit the Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford University (UK) Centre for Evidence-based Medicine, the Health Information Research Unit (McMaster University) or the Canadian Centres for Health Evidence. Using the latest science, we can create better public health nutrition policy.

Balneotherapy - Healing with Water - Bath Salts

This excerpt is reprinted from Healing Spriings, The Ultimate Guide to Taking the Waters, by Nathaniel Altman.

One of the most important activities that takes place at a traditional spa is balneotherapy, a natural approach to health and healing that uses hot spring water, gases, mud, and climatic factors (such as heat) as therapeutic elements.

Simple Solution: In addition to bathing, modalities such as hydrotherapy, mud therapy, physical therapy, massage, steam baths, physical exercises, inhalation of water vapor, and drinking mineral water are often used as part of a complex therapy for both health and preservation and treating disease.

Over the past four centuries, the science of balneology has evolved into a medical specialty in Europe and Japan, where special courses in balneotherapy are offered to both physicians and nurses by major medical schools. Doctors believe that thermal springs facilitate healing in a number of important ways.

Eight ways Balneotherapy Heals:
* Bathing in hot springs gradually increases the temperature of the body, thus killing harmful germs and viruses.
* Thermal bathing increases hydrostatic pressure on the body, thus increasing blood circulation and cell oxygenation. The increase in blood flow also helps dissolve and eliminate toxins from the body.
* Hot springs bathing increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, bringing improved nourishment to vital organs and tissues.
* Bathing in thermal water increases body metabolism, including stimulating the secretions of the intestinal tract and the liver, aiding digestion.
* Repeated hot springs bathing (especially over 3- to 4- week period) can help normalize the functions of the endocrine glands as well as the functioning of the body's autonomic nervous system.
* Trace amounts of minerals such as carbon dioxide, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and lithium are absorbed by the body and provide healing effects to various body organs and system. These healing effects can include stimulation of the immune system, leading to enhanced immunity; physical and mental relaxation; the production of endorphins; and normalized gland function.
* Mineral springs contain high amounts of negative ions, which can help promote feelings of physical and psychological well-being.
* The direct application of mineralized thermal waters (especially those containing sulfur) can have a therapeutic effect on diseases of the skin, including psoriasis, dermatitis, and fungal infections. Some mineral waters are also used to help the healing of wounds and other skin injuries.

Indications for Balneotherapy:
Over the several hundred years during which the science of medical balneology has developed, physicians have been able to identify the health conditions that can best be treated by healing springs. The following list of indications for balneotherapy is based on the research of Yuko Agishi, M.D.

CHRONIC DISEASES
Chronic rheumatic diseases
Functional recovery of central and peripheral neuroparalysis
Metabolic diseases, especially diabetes, obesity, and gout
Chronic gastrointestinal diseases
Chronic mild respiratory diseases
Circulatory diseases, especially moderate or mild hypertension
Peripheral circulatory diseases (affecting the hands and feet)
Chronic skin diseases
Psychosomatic and stress-related diseases
Autonomic nervous system dysfunction
Vibration disorder (a middle ear disorder affecting balance)
Sequela of (conditions resulting from) trauma
Chronic gynecological diseases

CONTRAINDICATIONS
If you have any illnesses or diseases, or are pregnant, consult with your physician before using spa therapy.

CAUTIONS
Avoid soaking in a hot spring alone, caution and the elderly should use with caution, don't use a spa if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, especially heart medications, don't overheat, drink plenty of cool water, and use private pools if you have a skin disease.


This excerpt is from the Aromatherapy Companion

Balneotherapy
Balneotherapy is the art of water therapy, and one of aromatherapy's best friends. There is nothing quite so soothing and relaxing as a leisurely soak in a hot bath. As the warmth of the water cradles your physical body, providing relief from the constant pull of gravity, your psyche is refreshed and restored, the weight of the world momentarily lifted. Add a few drops of well-selected essential oils and you approach nirvana.

Water is nature's greatest and most effective solvent. It acts as a liquid suspension, carrying a variety of minerals and chemicals, depending on its source. When we immerse our bodies in a warm bath, our skin rapidly begins to absorb chemicals that are suspended in the water. These chemical components can make their way to our bloodstream in as little as 2 to 15 minutes. It will take a normally healthy person from half an hour to three hours to eliminate most of these chemicals through the expired breath and urine. In unhealthy or obese people, this process may take up to 10 hours. That is why adding essential oils to a bath is such an effective aromatherapy treatment.

The premise of balneotherapy is built on this solvency. Just as we absorb the essential oils we intentionally add to the water, we absorb a variety of other chemicals and minerals suspended in our water. No two waters are exactly the same. Spring waters, often thought of as pure, actually contain a variety of minerals. It is the presence of these minerals, from the depths of the earth, that makes certain spring waters highly valued for their curative properties.

The amazing virtues of water have been sung throughout the ages. Ancient myths featured countless sea nymphs, mermaids, and water goddesses. It's no wonder that most ancient gods and goddesses associated with water were believed to be sources of life, fertility, and fecundity. Water is our element. We most likely evolved from aquatic creatures -- and in any event, our first months of life were spent floating in an amniotic bath. In our dreams water symbolizes the ebb and flow of our emotions. We use water for cleansing, refreshing, and relaxing. Water is the basis for our body's evaporative cooling system. It flushes out toxic wastes, plumps up our cells, and lubricates our moving parts. Water is crucial to our survival. Without it we would literally dry up and blow away.

A Brief History of the Bath
Although the Romans may not have invented the bath, they raised bathing to a high art. Roman citizens lingered for hours in communal hot baths, where they socialized, conducted courtship, and even sealed business deals. They built lavish baths wherever they found natural hot springs. The remains of Roman baths are still evident throughout Europe, the Mideast, and North Africa.

The Roman reverence for bathing has survived in Turkey, where patrons still visit public baths to be soaped, steamed, and scrubbed clean by attendants. Meanwhile, a highly ritualized bathing culture has evolved in Japan as well. Whole towns exist as destination resorts around Japanese natural hot springs. The harried Japanese make annual visits to these springs, and in between find time for frequent visits to the "Sento" -- the local communal hot-tub house. Japanese homes are for the most part poorly heated, and the family bath becomes an important source of warmth in winter.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, bathing fell out of favor in Europe. For the next few centuries the practice was considered suspect and unhealthy, immersion a frightening and distasteful experience. Washing was an unpleasant and infrequent necessity, to be carried out quickly and furtively, with a basin of cold water.

Water Therapy
Water therapy as practiced today was introduced in Austria in the 19th century by the Reverend Father Sebastian Kneipp. Father Kneipp believed in the healing properties of water and prescribed treatments that included drinking mineral waters, soaking in hot springs, taking cold showers, and walking barefoot in the early-morning dew. Healing spas that subscribed to Father Kneipp's philosophy sprang up all over Europe, and "taking the waters" became a popular social pastime for the rich and privileged.

Today health spas abound throughout the United States, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Modern spas have evolved beyond mere mineral-water treatments to offer many other complementary therapies as well as physical fitness, relaxation training, and nutritional counseling. Aromatherapy has been universally adopted as a valuable synergistic component of most spa therapies.

You can create your own spa experience with just a few essential oils and a tub of hot water. An aromatherapy bath is the ultimate luxury. Experiment with 3 to 5 drops of several different, complementary oils, adjusting the total amount to suit your individual taste. You can add the oils directly to the bath or, for added luxury, disperse them in a cup of milk first. Essential oils combine well with all other bath additives. Add Epsom salts, sea salts, and algae to mineralize the water and increase buoyancy. Add oatmeal or honey to soothe and nourish the skin. Add bicarbonate of soda to "soften" the water. Add fresh or dried herbs and flower petals for their aesthetic and therapeutic qualities.

- from The Aromatherapy Companion by Victoria Edwards.